Reunions and Reactions
by IheartJanto-X
Summary: 6 months after Syed and Amira's wedding, Christian returns to Walford. How will Syed react? Does Christian even care about him anymore? Do they finally have a chance to be together?
1. Syed

Syed couldn't remember when he'd started using the shower as an escape. He would stand under the flow of water, close his eyes, and pretend he was somewhere else. He'd leave all the stresses of his married life behind him, and drift back to the flat where he had been truly happy. The problem was he couldn't stay in his happy place forever. He sighed and got out of the shower, shivering as he realised he'd let the water get cold. He grabbed a towel, heading towards the bedroom he now shared with Amira. Luckily, she had already gone downstairs for breakfast, leaving Syed alone with his thoughts. Or rather, his one thought, which was always, as it had been since the moment they'd parted for the last time, Christian Clarke.

He dressed quickly and went downstairs to greet his wife. He stopped outside the kitchen door, took a deep breath, plastered on his fake smile and walked through the door.

As far as Amira was concerned, there was nothing more beautiful than her husband, still glistening from his morning shower, smiling down at her. She got up from where she was sitting at the kitchen table and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Morning" she smiled, "You okay?"

Syed nodded, "Never better"

Amira wrapped her arms around his strong waist, and he sighed. He wished he could hurry up and fall in love with her, like his mother had told him he would at the wedding 6 months ago. She should be so easy to love, she was beautiful, kind, gentle, and she would be a good wife and mother. In a way, Syed did love her, but the problem was he wasn't in love with her.

Just then, Zainab bustled through the door, a small baby in her arms.

"Morning, mum" Syed greeted her, letting go of Amira to give her a hug. She smiled at Amira, before settling down into one of the chairs.

"How are you this fine morning, Zainab?" Amira asked.

"Well, I've been sorting out the Masala Queen accounts all morning with Jane" she sighed, "Not an easy task when all she wants to do is talk! I mean, she's a lovely woman, but I don't really know how it affects me that her brother has returned to Walford"

Syed froze, "Christian?"

"Well, yes, who else?" Zainab muttered. Amira grinned, happy to have her friend back in town.

"So, when did he get back?" Amira asked.

"Last night, I think, but..." she trailed off as she noticed the look on Syed's face. He was staring in shock, and Zainab's eyes widened as she realised the bombshell she had just dropped on her son. Syed suddenly jerked into action, grabbing his coat from the back of a chair and moving towards the door,

"I'm just going to..."

"Syed!" Zainab yelled sharply, "A word, please"

He sighed, defeated, and walked towards the living room, Zainab close behind him. She shut the door behind them, much to Amira's annoyance. She didn't like having secrets in her own house.

As soon as the door was firmly closed, Zainab turned her attention to Syed, a look of determination on her face.

"Syed, you're not to go anywhere near the Beale's house, ok? I don't know how long Christian is staying, but it would do neither of you any good to see each other"

"Mum, you can't stop me going out of the house" Syed insisted, "Anyway, he's my friend, I wanna see how he is"

"But we both know he's not just your friend, is he, Syed?"

He sighed, "I'm sure he's forgotten all about that by now. He's been in Miami; there are many attractive men for him to have the time of his life with"

Zainab eyed him distastefully, "And have you forgotten about it?"

Syed looked his mother in the eye, "What do you think?"

Zainab groaned, "Syed, we've been over this so many times!"

"I was in love with him, and you forced me to get married, mum!" he yelled, "Did you expect me to just fall back out of it? Because that was never gonna work, was it?"

Zainab sighed, "Syed, you can't do this, you love Amira!"

"I do!" he saw a glimmer of hope in his mother's eyes, "but I'm not in love with her, she's like a friend, or a sister"

"You're a good boy, Syed, a good Muslim; don't throw that all away by..."

"By what? Being happy?"

"Syed, he'll have moved on, you said so yourself, what's the point of doing this?"

"I don't care, I have to see him, even if he hates me, I love him, and I always will"

Syed swung open the door and started to rush out to see Christian, but he was stopped in his tracks. Standing on the other side of the door, eyes wide with shock, was Amira.....


	2. Christian

As Christian took a deep breath and stepped out of the taxi onto the square, he was met with a strange sense of Déjà Vu. He seemed to be coming and going in taxi's to and from Walford, bag in hand and usually tears in his eyes, far too often. He paid the driver and stepped out onto the street, heading towards the Beale's house. No sooner had he knocked on the door when it swung open to reveal Jane, squealing with delight at having her brother home. She dragged him into the living room and sat him down on the sofa before giving him a bone-crushing hug.

"God, it's good to have you back!" her voice was somewhat muffled by Christian's shoulder.

"It's good to be back" he smiled, "Where's Ian and everyone?"

"They've gone out to get chips; I assumed you'd be hungry"

"Bloody starving" he admitted, "So, what have I missed around here?"  
"Hmm, nothing much really, Zainab had the baby, a girl"

"All ok?"

"Yeah, she's gorgeous" she said almost longingly, so Christian tactfully changed the subject.

"How's the business going without me?"

Jane smiled, "Well, obviously, they're missing your artistic flair when it comes to parties and things, but otherwise we're doing ok"

"What about the Masoods?"

Jane sighed, "Christian, I know where you're going with this" she patted him on the arm.

Christian looked solemn, "How is he?"

"Well, I don't really see enough of him to know, but he seems ok" she smiled sadly, "I think he and Amira miss you though"

"Do they know I'm here?"

"I saw Zainab this morning and told her, so probably, unless she thought it would be better to keep it from him"

Christian nodded, "maybe that would be best"

Just then, Ian, Peter and Bobby came bustling through the door, steaming chips in their hands. Bobby immediately leaped into Christian's arms. Christian laughed at the boy's enthusiasm, hugging him fondly.

"Alright, Christian?" Ian greeted him with a handshake. They exchanged pleasantries as Jane set the table for dinner, even though they were all happy to eat out of the packaging. Lucy came rushing in as everyone sat down, smiled brightly at Christian then dove into the chips.

Just as they finished their meal, there was a knock at the door. Peter ran to get it, returning with Masood. Christian gasped, afraid he would have brought the whole family, which was something he couldn't quite cope with right now. Luckily, it was just him.

"I just popped the accounts file back, and Zainab sends her regards" he glanced around the room,

"Oh, hello Christian, when did you get back?"

"About 2 hours ago" he smiled, getting up to shake Masood's hand.

"I'll have to tell Amira you're back, she's been dying to see you" he laughed, "And Syed's been missing you, even if he doesn't admit it"

Christian winced, "I didn't know I was so popular"

Masood laughed, "Do you fancy popping over for a bit, you haven't seen the baby yet"

"Umm..." Christian couldn't think of a good enough excuse not to. "Sure, why not?"

Masood smiled and headed for the door, Christian following reluctantly behind him. He could feel Jane and Lucy's shocked gazes burning into his back as he walked away. The two men made polite conversation on their way across the Square, Masood remaining oblivious to the discomfort Christian was feeling. They reached the door, and Christian paused, doubting that this was really the best idea, to come back into Syed's life when he had settled into life with Amira, more than likely forgetting all feelings he'd had for Christian. As Masood turned to see what had stopped Christian, the sounds of a heated argument burst from inside the house.

"Maybe I should come back later" Christian stated over the sound of Amira yelling. However, Masood had already entered the house to see the cause of all the commotion. Sighing, Christian reluctantly followed him in. He listened to the row that was going on in the living room, but as soon as he heard Amira's angry words he wished he'd stayed far away from the Masood's.

"Come on, Syed, if you're in love with somebody else, don't I at least deserve to know who it is?! You've been cheating on me for who knows how long, and you don't even have the decency to admit who with!!"

"It's..."

It was this moment that Masood chose to enter the room, Christian close at his heels. Syed stopped and gasped as he saw him, frozen to the spot. Their eyes met, and both of them realised they were just as in love as they had been all those months ago. Seeing Christian, Amira burst into tears and ran at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and sobbing into his T-shirt. He hesitantly hugged her back.

"What's wrong babe?" he murmured. Amira looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Syed....he's in love...with a..." she started sobbing again, the last part of her sentence lost in the tears. Syed's eyes shined with unshed tears at the pain he was causing. Zainab was casting death glares in Christian's direction, her face a mixture of horror and disgust. Christian sighed into Amira's hair. This obviously wasn't going to be the quiet visit to the square that he'd been hoping for.


	3. Out

Masood glanced around at his family, confused as to what had happened in the short time he'd been out. He could see his wife was upset, but he'd noticed her mood had become significantly darker as he and Christian had entered. He wondered what on earth could've made Amira so upset, Zainab so disgusted and Syed so speechless.

"I think maybe I should leave you all to talk, I can see this is a bad time" Christian excused himself, heading for the door.

"Can I call you later?" Amira sniffed. He nodded uncomfortably, looking quickly around the room before turning to leave, making sure not to meet Syed's eyes. As he shut the door, he heard Amira launch into another attack on Syed.

"Come on, then! We're all dying to know who the lucky guy is!"

"Wait a second!" Masood cut in, "What are we talking about?"

"Well, your son has apparently been cheating on me since the summer, with a man!"

"What?! You must be mistaken, Amira, Syed loves you, right son?"

Syed glanced around the room, before resting his eyes on his wife, "I do love you, I'm just not in love with you" he admitted, "I'm gay, and I'm tired of hiding it"

Masood gasped, "I can't believe this! How long have you known?"

"I tried to deny it, I broke up with....him before the wedding, because I knew it was wrong, that it was against all of our beliefs"

"Well, then I don't see a problem, if you've realised your mistakes"

"That's just it, Dad" he sighed, "It's not a mistake. I know that in your eyes it is wrong, Haraam, but this is the way I am"

Masood's eyes widened in outrage, "So, you've been lying to your entire family for all this time, which is a sin in itself, but now to tell everyone you're a homosexual? I can't believe this! Why? You're married, happily married"

"But I'm not happily married! I didn't want to go through with it, I told mum, but..."

"Wait!" Masood shrieked, "You knew about this?!" he yelled at his wife, "You knew, and you never said anything"

"I was praying that he would see sense, Mas, that he would see how much pain he was causing by this disgusting sin" Zainab pleaded.

"You forced our son to marry against his will?"

"I thought this would be what he wanted in the long run"

"You thought wrong!" he turned back to Syed, "The way I see it, if you had told the truth sooner, a lot of pain could've been avoided. As far as I am concerned, the biggest sin you have committed is lying to your family and your wife. That is the only sin I will judge you for, as you have caused far more hurt with your lies than you would've if you'd been honest about your sexuality in the first place"

"Please Dad, you have to believe me, I never meant to hurt anyone"

"That may be true, but people ended up getting hurt, Syed, look at Amira"

Syed glanced towards his wife, who sat on the sofa, her head in her hands. Masood turned back to Zainab, who was glaring at her son.

"Zainab, I know you're upset, but apparently you encouraged him to go through with the wedding. You can hardly blame him for following your wishes"

"He didn't know his own mind" she spat, "That awful man had clouded his judgement, made him think he was in love with him"

"I'm sorry, who is this man?"

"The man Syed claims to love" she shivered, "And then you bought him into the house, just when Syed had forgotten about him!"

Masood looked confused, "I haven't bought anybody into the...." he gasped, "You mean Christian?!"

Amira stood up sharply and walked over to Syed, "You Love CHRISTIAN?!" she shrieked at him. He nodded solemnly. Amira burst into fresh tears.

"How could you?" she sobbed, "He's my best friend, and all this time you've been...." she stormed out of the room and upstairs, slamming their bedroom door behind her. Syed sighed, turning back to his parents. Zainab stood staring at him with contempt, while his father had a look of calm understanding.

Syed decided that his Dad was probably the safest option, so he directed his question to him.

"So what happens now?"

"That's for you to decide" Masood reasoned, "You've said you don't want to be with Amira, and now at least she knows the truth. You need to talk to her, but right now I'd let her calm down a bit"

"Dad, I've just told you I'm gay"

"I know, and as you can probably tell, we are not happy with this choice" he said sternly, "We've brought you up to follow Allah's wishes, and you have turned against your faith" he sighed, "However, I know you, Syed, and I know you wouldn't have made this decision lightly. This has obviously has caused you a lot of stress, and I can't imagine it has been easy on Christian either"

"Masood, are you saying you accept this?" Zainab interrupted,

"He's a grown man, he needs to make his own mind up what is right for him" Masood said, "We have a saying, 'Insha Allah', if Allah is willing. If this is how Allah wants our son to lead his life, we should not stand in his way"

Zainab looked shocked, "But what about Bushra, the Mosque..."

"That woman isn't as perfect as she makes out to be!" Masood yelled, "And anyway, she doesn't control what Syed does with his life any more than we do, she can't stop him being a homosexual"

"I can't listen to anymore of this!" Zainab shrieked, "Syed, just get out of my sight! I can't look at you right now"

Syed nodded, heading for the door. In all honesty, he had expected a worse reaction from them. As he walked out of the house, there was no doubting where he would go.


	4. Reunion

Syed hammered unnecessarily hard on the front door, almost jumping up and down as he waited for somebody to answer it. He smiled as Lucy opened the door, her face a picture of shock as she mutely stepped aside to let him in. He could hear Christian on the other side of the living room door, confiding in somebody who Syed thought must be Jane.

"I thought I could handle seeing him, but it still kills me" he admitted, "It's horrible and selfish, but after all this time I'm still in..."

Syed chose this moment to walk nervously into the living room. Christian's jaw dropped slightly with surprise, and Jane looked Syed directly in the eye with a look of understanding.

"I'll leave you two to catch up" she murmured, heading quietly upstairs. Syed nodded at her gratefully, but Christian stood staring at him, almost longingly. Syed turned to him and smiled.

"So, long time no see" he said nervously, causing Christian to smile back.

"It seemed longer to me"

"Really?" Syed asked, "I always thought Miami was one of those places that everything seems to...whizz by"

"Not if you're alone out there" Christian sighed. He walked over to the sofa and slumped down onto it. Syed hovered uncomfortably, not trusting himself to be too close to his former lover.

"You? Alone? I would've thought you'd be far from alone over there" He couldn't meet Christian's eyes, "From what I've heard, it's full of dashing young men"

Christian laughed weakly, before turning to Syed, "I stopped seeing people, Sy" he admitted, "Everywhere I went, I'd find myself comparing people to you, if they had the same colour hair, the same laugh, even if they were just wearing a black leather jacket" he groaned, "God, I'm such a nerd"

Syed smiled, though there were tears in his eyes, "I thought you would've....moved on, forgotten about us"

"How could I? I was totally in love with you. That's why I came back, to try and talk to Jane about it all. If she'd told me you were happy, I'd have gone away and never bothered you again"

"What did she tell you?"

"I didn't get a chance to ask before your dad came in, asking me to come over and see you" he smiled, "I couldn't come up with a good enough excuse to get out of it"

"My mother said this morning that you were back, I just about passed out! I tried to come over and see you, but she cornered me. I insisted on leaving, telling her that I wasn't going to forget how I felt about you, and how it was so much more than anything I could feel for Amira. Of course, it turns out Amira had heard it all. That's why she was shouting when you walked in"

"What happened when I left?" Christian asked, completely absorbed in the story.

"Well, she was obviously upset when she found out I was gay, Dad couldn't believe it, but I think he was more upset at the fact I'd been lying for so long. Amira got totally hysterical when she found out it was you I was in love with though"

"What?" Christian spluttered, "You...still love me?"

Syed laughed, "Well, I was hardly gonna forget about you, was I? I can't believe you don't get how much I care about you, Christian" he sighed, "Would I come out to my entire family, go against my religion, make my wife hate me, and probably my mother, too, if I wasn't totally, completely in love with you?"

It was at this point that Christian stood up, took Syed into his arms and kissed him with all the emotion inside him. Syed responded immediately, wrapping his arms around Christian's neck and deepening the kiss. As they pulled apart, Syed sighed contentedly,

"God, I've missed that"

"Am I that good, then?" Christian smirked.

"You have no idea" Syed laughed, leaning in to press another chaste kiss to Christian's lips. Christian pulled back to grin at Syed, gently stroking his cheek.

"So what happens now?" he asked. As reluctant as he was to talk about it, he knew that it was something that needed to be discussed.

"Well, my whole family knows now, and I'm pretty sure Amira wants a divorce" he smiled sadly, "And I don't know how you feel about it, but I kinda don't want you to leave again, seeing as I'm in love with you and everything"

Christian laughed, "Oh, don't worry, I'm not going anywhere without you"

Suddenly, there was a small voice on the other side of the living room door,

"I'm still out here, you know" Lucy muttered, opening the door a tiny bit to peep around the edge. Both men laughed, moving out of their embrace, but still keeping a firm grip on each other's hands. Lucy warily entered the living room.

"I'm been standing out there for bloody ages so you could have a nice chat!" she yelled sarcastically, "I mean, do you realise how..." she stopped as she noticed their linked hands, and grinned, "So are you two...?"

Christian and Syed nodded simultaneously. Lucy squealed delightedly and ran to hug them both at the same time. She let them go almost immediately, stepping back with an embarrassed look on her face.

"Anyway, I'll, um....leave you two alone then" she headed upstairs, no doubt to pass on her news to Jane.

"So, where are you staying while you're in Walford?" Syed asked when they were alone again.

"Ian's letting me stay in my old flat again" he answered.

"You know," Syed smirked, "I'm sure it would be better for my family if I didn't go there tonight, so I kind of need a place to stay"

"Well, you're welcome to sleep on my sofa" Christian offered seriously. Syed's eyes widened, only to relax when Christian broke into a grin.

"Kidding" he laughed, "You know _exactly_ where you're sleeping tonight, Sy" he winked.

"You're such a tease" Syed scolded him mockingly.

"And you love it" Christian retorted. Syed reached up and tenderly stroked Christian's cheek,

"Truly, I do"


	5. Reaction

Christian grinned, leaning to kiss Syed once again. But just as their lips brushed gently, Syed's mobile rang in his pocket. Christian sighed and pulled back, disappointed. Syed smiled apologetically and reached to answer it.

"Tam?" he recognised the number that flashed on his screen. Christian could still hear Tamwar's half of the conversation.

"Hey, dad told me what happened, just so you know, I wasn't surprised when you came out"

"What, have you got some kind of super gay-dar?" Syed asked sarcastically.

Tamwar laughed, "No, I've just seen the way you look at Christian, and how you were always sneaking around there, and then coming back looking all..." he coughed uncomfortably, "...ruffled"

Christian chuckled. Syed glared at him before going back to his conversation.

"So, um...how do you feel about it?" he asked his brother nervously.

"I haven't got a problem with it, I promise. I mean, it's not as if it's anybody's business who you fall in love with is it?" he paused, "I feel bad for Amira though"

Syed winced, "Me, too, Tam"

"Well, anyway I rang to ask if you wanted me to bring you anything, like clothes and stuff, because I don't think it's a good idea if you come back here tonight"

"Me neither, and yes, if you could just bring some clothes over, I'll be staying at Christian's"

"I bet you will" you could hear the smirk in Tamwar's voice as he spoke. Syed rolled his eyes, as Christian burst into uncontrolled laughter.

"Thanks, Tam" he said, hanging up and turning to glare at Christian, who was practically rolling on the floor laughing. Christian, noticing the look on Syed's face, stopped abruptly, looking up at his lover sheepishly.  
"Sorry, Sy" he muttered. Syed continued to glare for all of ten seconds, before his face broke into a grin. He stepped towards Christian, running his hand seductively down his chest.

"It's ok" he smirked, "I know how you can make it up to me"

"Well, six months have done you some good" Christian laughed, "It used to be me who had to come up with the not-so-subtle hints"

Syed moved closer, wrapping his arms firmly around Christian's waist and trailing kisses up his jaw line. He ran his hand along the waistband of Christian's jeans, softly kissing his neck.

"Sy" Christian moaned, "My place, now!"

Syed laughed against his neck, the vibrations almost driving Christian over the edge. He practically dragged Syed out of the Beale's house, taking the alley route to avoid being seen. Christian smiled at the irony of how, even six months down the line, they were still hiding in alleyways. But these thoughts were driven from his mind as they reached the front door, the key barely turned in the lock when Syed pushed Christian up against the wall of his flat. They kept their lips just inches apart, neither one closing the gap, as if trying to prolong the feeling of want.

"Your brother will be here soon" Christian breathed and Syed groaned.

"Tam's never been on time for anything in his life, and are you really gonna let it stop us? Remember, it's been over 6 months since we last..."

He was cut off as Christian swung them around so it was Syed who was pinned to the wall, grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him into a heated kiss. Syed smiled against his mouth before returning the kiss, resting his hands on Christian's hips and playing with the zip of his jeans. Christian ran his hands through his lover's hair, guiding them towards his bed without breaking the kiss. Christian pushed Syed onto the bed roughly, causing him to groan as his back hit the mattress.

Christian pulled back and smiled sheepishly.

"Sorry about that"

Syed laughed, "Come here" he cupped Christian's cheek and pulled him back down.

* * *

There was a sharp knock on Christian's front door, and the two men froze immediately. Christian's hand stopped it's exploration of Syed's chest, while Syed pulled his head back from where it had been nestled at Christian's neck.

"That's Tam" Syed whispered. Christian reluctantly stood up and walked away, hearing Syed whimper behind him at the loss of contact. Christian smiled and turned back, reaching out his hand for the other to take. Syed was up in a second, his hand laced like a vice around Christian's. Christian leant in to kiss Syed softly, before going to answer the door.

The door swung open to reveal Tamwar, who was looking over Christian's shoulder warily as he greeted him.  
"You okay there, Tam?" Christian asked, noticing the way he was acting.

"I'm fine, it's just..." he took a deep breath, "I was worried I'd walk in on you two...you know"

"We can control ourselves" Christian laughed, "We're not animals"

"I know that" Tam looked embarrassed, "It's just, you haven't seen each other in, like, 6 months, so I thought you'd want to...catch up"

Christian bit back a grin as he let Tamwar into the flat, who was visibly relieved to see his brother fully clothed and sitting on the sofa. Tam nodded to Syed, who smiled back nervously.

"Alright, Tam?" Syed greeted him, "How is everything at home?"

"Well, obviously, mum's having a fit" Tamwar rolled his eyes, "Dad's busy trying to calm her down, and Amira...well, to be honest, no one's dared to enter your room yet, I think she's packing" he admitted solemnly.

Syed nodded sadly, "I knew it wasn't going to be easy on anyone, I shouldn't have let it go on this long, I should've admitted it sooner, I should've..." he was soon babbling hysterically, tears threatening to pour down his cheeks. Christian dashed to his side, pulling him into a hug and stroking his hair comfortingly.

"It'll be ok, Sy" he whispered, "They'll come round, I mean, look at Tam" Syed looked up at his lover tearfully before turning to his brother. Tamwar stood, staring with wonder.

"You ok there, Tam?" Christian repeated his earlier question.

Tam nodded, "It's just, you two are, like, properly in love" he breathed, "I don't know how anyone can deny that"

Syed smiled gratefully up at his brother, and Christian was beaming. He grasped Syed's hand tightly and smiled at him, as if to say, "I told you it would be ok"

"Anyway" Tamwar headed for the door, "I better be going, mum will go crazy if I'm out for too long"

As he reached the door, he smiled to himself as he realised he had never seen his brother so happy. He turned to Christian and mouthed so Syed couldn't understand.

"Look after him"

Christian nodded seriously. He didn't think it was in his power to do anything but look after Syed, and love him, cherish him, forever. He knew this wasn't going to be easy, he'd been there himself, but he hadn't had Zainab to contend with. He hoped Syed would be okay, and be happy. But he knew that, even if Syed wasn't okay, he'd be there with him, every step of the way.


End file.
